- November 26, 2024
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High school spring football is under way. FPC linebackers coach JoJo Fennell brings four years of D-1 experience.
While playing football at Flagler Palm Coast High School, JoJo Fennell was the do-it-all player. Though he was a running back and linebacker, most of his time was spent on the defensive side of the ball.
Three games into his senior season, former Bulldogs coach Steve Allen moved him to running back full time. In seven games, Fennell rushed for 737 yards.
But despite his athletic presence on the field, he wasn’t heavily recruited by many programs because of his lack of size. In fact, the only programs that even showed interest were Bethune-Cookman University and Jacksonville University.
Fennell ended up choosing JU, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Pioneer Football League.
Over Fennell’s four seasons at JU, the team went 29-17, including 10-1 his senior season en route to its second conference title. Fennell was named to the All-Conference team three out his four years. He led the team in tackles his junior season with 86 total tackles and was second his senior season with 66. He finished his career as a four-year starter and fourth all-time in tackles.
Fennell was set to enter the 2011 NFL Draft. He said he hired an agent and was ranked 59th out of approximately 2,000 linebackers in the country.
However, 254 names were called in seven rounds, and JoJo Fennell wasn’t one of them.
He considered joining the Canadian Football League, but eventually decided that wasn’t the best move. Instead, he moved back to Flagler County — the place it all began.
“When I was here playing at FPC, I saw a lot of players with talent, but we weren’t getting a lot of promotion like we should’ve been,” Fennell said Thursday before an FPC spring practice.
Back at FPC, Fennell is now the linebackers coach.
His degree is in sports administration, but he’s hoping to get certified as a teacher.
About one year ago, Fennell started Unda Tha Radar LLC, a training company designed to seek out and train high school football players and prepare them for the college level.
The whole purpose, Fennell said, is to find that “diamond in the rough” player who often gets overlooked because of lack of size or speed.
Fennell said he will train players, teach them technical aspects of the game and help give them exposure by putting together film packages to send off to college coaches.
The training, which is designed solely for high school players, will take place over the summer.
FPC players are already seeing the impact Fennell can make.
Kyrie Smith, who will be a senior in the fall, plays linebacker for FPC.
Smith had trouble getting initial reads from the opposing team’s quarterback, but Fennell has helped Smith fix that aspect of his game.
“He used to false step a lot — meaning he would take steps back before he’d step forward and attack the play,” Fennell said of Smith. “His first step should always be forward. He did this all last season, but I’m noticing a difference now.” (The Bulldogs are currently in the middle of their spring practices, and their spring game will take place in two weeks.)
FPC girls basketball coach Javier Bevacqua is helping Fennell establish his business. Bevacqua said high school coaches who help develop the youth in the community can improve high school programs.
“His goal isn’t getting the top 100 players everyone knows about,” Bevacqua said. “It’s going after the kids who should be going to college but are getting overlooked and are ending their careers as high school players.”
Fennell hopes his training business can steer high school football players in the right direction, whether that means eventually playing in the NFL or just getting a college degree.
“I want to teach them how to use football as a vehicle toward life itself,” Fennell said. “I want the program to be a source of motivation to get them to where they want to be.”
UNDA THA RADAR ACADEMY
JoJo Fennell, former running back/linebacker for Flagler Palm Coast High School and linebacker at Jacksonville University, will hold a free football clinic 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 26, at Ralph Carter Park.
The clinic will be open to 150 players in seventh grade and below.
For more information, contact Fennell at 801-9023 or via email at [email protected].
